Page 7 of Rebel's Fairytale

“Boy, I’m sorry to hear about Lace.”

Rock gave a nod and backed up, clearing his throat. “We knew it was coming,” he mumbled as he watched Mama Nia point the kids toward the kitchen, where there was no doubt a mountain of baked goods waiting for them.

“Wes, don’t you even begin to tell me not to spoil those babies.” She waved a finger in his face. “They have had enough heartache to kill the baddest badass, and I will heal them with baked love if I want to.”

Rock couldn’t stop the smile from growing on his face. “Mama Nia, I would never stop that, and you know it.”

Pops chuckled. “That’s only because he’s scared you’ll come after him with a wooden spoon.”

They all knew that was bullshit. Rock and her biological children were scared of her, but it wasn’t because of her spoons. It was because the thought of disappointing her would hurt them more than any ass-whooping could.

“Now, I know you’re going through some hard stuff, Wes, but why do you look so conflicted?” Mama Nia crossed her arms over her chest and stared him down, daring him to try to not answer her question.

“Lace… uh… you remember me telling you about Mary? Well…”

Mama Nia nodded. “She told you to go after that woman and seal the deal, didn’t she?”

Rock nodded. “And… I dunno. I feel like that would be… unfair to Mary, somehow.”

Pops shook his head as Mama Nia replied, “You’re thinking Mary will think you are only doing it because Lace told you to? Boy, if you haven’t made it clear to that woman you want her yet, that’s no one’s fault but your own. Now, I get that you didn’t want to jump into anything, and I even understood that you didn’t want to disrespect Lace by bringing Mary into your world. I knew you felt like that would be rubbing it in her face. I am not telling you to hitch your ride to Mary just because Lace told you to, but we all know you’ve been in love with Mary for a long damn time, now. It’s time to shit or get off the pot, son.”

Rock sighed. She wasn’t wrong, but he worried about the timing. “But Mia and Logan—“

“Want their dad to be happy,” Mama Nia cut in and finished for him. “They’ve lived through years of seeing their dad unhappy and watching the most important woman in their life teach them hownotto live. It’s time they saw a smile on your face that actually reached your eyes. It’s time they saw a mother who put her kids first and would make sure your kids felt that same kind of love. Everything you’ve told us about Mary tells me she isthatmother.”

Rock nodded. “She is.” Mary would walk through fire and move mountains to prove her love for her children. He had no doubt that she would do the same for Mia and Logan.

“Great. Now, I expect her over for dinner soon.” Mama Nia lifted up on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Pops will see you out. I have grandbabies to spoil.”

As they watched her head for the kitchen, Pops patted Rock on the back. “You know you have to claim that woman and bring her over for dinner within a couple weeks or Mama Nia will just invite her herself, right?”

Rock chuckled and nodded. “Yes, I know.”

“Good.” Pops cleared his throat. “The kids will be fine. You aren’t dealing with this alone, Wes. I think Mary being in their lives will only help them through this. It would help if you let her in to help you through it, too.”

Sighing, Rock turned and walked to the front door. “I get it, Pops.” Then, with a wave of his hand over his shoulder, he opened the door and headed for his truck.

He had to lay everything out for Mary and hope that she still wanted to be around. She knew a bit about Lace, but he had yet to tell her what happened in Lace’s final moments. He worried she would think he was finally letting her in just because Lace told him to or that he was only accepting her as his just because Lace was gone. It wasn’t the truth, but love and grief were complicated, confusing bastards.

Mary

After dropping Mia and Logan off to his parents’ house, Rock had switched out his truck for his motorcycle at the clubhouse. He had Mary climb on behind him and took them back to his house. It was the first time Mary would get a glimpse into his personal space. Sure, she had seen his room at the compound, but there was something more intimate about Rock allowing her to see his home, the space he shared with his children.

He told her they needed to have a long, serious talk, but she wasn’t worried about whatever it was he wanted to discuss. It didn’t matter what he said to her. She knew who he was, and she had no intentions of walking away from him. Mary was in it for the real deal, not the easy shit or rainbows and unicorns. She would hold his hand and face his demons at his side, the same way he did for her.

Every struggle she’d had in the several months since her move, she leaned on him to help her navigate through it. He was good about not taking over and fixing everything, but he also didn’t leave her out on a ledge without a hand to grab.

It was her turn to be the hand to grab, and there was no way she was falling down on the job.

Not that it was hard to do. He was such a good man, which made emotionally supporting him easy to do. Add in the fact that Rock had dark hair the right length for her to get a grip on while he did fantastic things with his tongue between her legs, and it became even easier.

And those eyes of his…Damn.They were deep set and brown, the kind of brown that drew you in. Soulful and intense, they were eyes that saw right through your shields to the person you were inside. They were also compassionate and kind.

Below them was the mouth she was in love with. Sweet words and sensual promises fell from those lips. Rock’s tongue was talented inso very manyways. And his mouth was surrounded by scruff that just added to the appeal and the experience when he was using that mouth on her body.

If you dropped below his neck, you ran into a body that made you want to lick and nibble on every inch, follow his tattoos and muscles with your tongue, see how many different ways you could get him to curse in the deep, rough voice of his.

Yeah, supporting this wonderful man was not a hardship for her, neither was holding onto him on the back of his bike.

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